When Verve Pipe lead singer Brian Vander Ark played a solo show for a private party early last summer, he walked around and performed new songs for attendees in small groups. "I thought, 'I could make a buck doing this,'" Vander Ark said.

So last year, Vander Ark spent his time playing living rooms, backyards or anywhere fans paid him to play. He hoped for 25 shows; he ended up with 75. One of his stops included performing for two pregnant couples in Louisville at midnight after a gig in Indiana.

"I also played for a young couple celebrating their anniversary," he said. "They had a babysitter watch their baby for a couple hours. I play whatever they want me to play."

Funds from his 'Lawn Chairs and Living Rooms Tour '07' financed his 2008 self-titled release, produced by Bill Szymczyk (the Eagles, Bob Seger, the Who). The tour also spawned a 13-song live CD recorded in the living room of a fan in Appleton, Wis.

"It's so much more enjoyable than the club thing," Vander Ark said. "It really is a campaign -- shaking people's hands, thanking people for their support and playing music for them."

Vander Ark is reviving the 'Lawn Chairs and Living Rooms Tour' for 2008. Fans who are interested in booking Vander Ark can visit his Web site or MySpace page. "I could probably stop playing clubs," he said. "That would be fine with me."